[a] Gazelle Head cover is fastened to each blade root by a strip of velcro. There is no metal buckle fitted.
[b] There is no such thing as a Gazelle main gearbox cover - it is shrouded by a fairing.
[c] The Gazell at that time did not carry an Observer - two pilots [Ac Commander, LHS and Pilot ,RHS. It was not a procedure or policy for the 'observer' to stand outside the cabin with a fire extinguisher.

Nice strory if you had got half the detail correct. However, starting with a headcover on did take place on more than one occasion.

Shame the crew in question wasn't as sharp as yourself. You might be correct about the buckles, it might have been a velcro pad, as it was a long time ago and we didn't go looking for part numbers afterwards. The rotor rpm was well up and increasing at the time it was pointed out to us by the guard in the sangar, who had frantically been shouting at the dull crew outside the disc. :D

Observer, pilot or whoever, he was definitely outside and certainly dull to fail to notice the aircraft was being started with covers on, especially as he was in great danger of personal injury as the item in question whirled past his face with increasing speed. He certainly woke up a little when it flew off past him.

You said it happened a number of times. I take it those pilots didn't do walk-rounds first thing in the morning...and sometimes weren't sharp enough to realise that if you put on a cover last thing the previous night it might still be there the following morning? Or realise that some critical damage might have been done and perhaps ought to get it inspected by an engineer? :hmm:

How about the owner of A Certain Southern UK Helo company who had his lackies drag his squirrel out of the hangar for him to go flying. When told it was ready, strode purposefully out to his steed and pressed the starter (or whatever you do in squirrels).

Strange noise alerted him to something not being right...turns out the air intake blanks had been sucked into the engine. Ouch!

Jaw Dropper
 

A friend of mine let a friend of his borrow his xxxx copter (name omitted to protect the innocent) he watched him depart and noticed something fall from beneath the engine. Legging it across the field, he recovered the offending object. He immediately called the pilot on his mobile. The passenger answered. "Ask that bloody pratt if all the gauges read out ok". "Yes" was the reply. Well tell the ****head ive got the alternator belt in my right hand.